Elie Saab Captivates Paris Couture with a Fusion of Past and Present

A model presents a creation by Elie Saab during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Fashion Week in Paris on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)
A model presents a creation by Elie Saab during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Fashion Week in Paris on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)
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Elie Saab Captivates Paris Couture with a Fusion of Past and Present

A model presents a creation by Elie Saab during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Fashion Week in Paris on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)
A model presents a creation by Elie Saab during the Women's Haute-Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Fashion Week in Paris on July 5, 2023. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)

In the stone cloisters of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs adjoining the palatial Louvre, Elie Saab unveiled his latest collection to a rapt audience of VIPs, including Alicia Silverstone, on Wednesday.

Amid the historic venue, Saab presented a couture show that astounded attendees with its intricate detailing and magnificent silhouettes — and lived up to the venue’s grandeur, The Associated Press reported.

SAAB’S CINEMATIC SIRENS STRUT IN SILK Saab once again affirmed his philosophy: “The code of my collections will always remain the same." Staying true to his glamour-focused ethos, the fall collection saw Saab recraft history’s contours through a modern lens. Drawing inspiration from heroines of period pieces — Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth,” Charlize Theron in “Snow White and the Huntsman,” and more — Saab reinterpreted these timeless figures.

Complex embellishments, intricate textures, and sparkling jewel tones of ruby, amethyst and emerald danced across gowns, paying homage to the regal, cinematic muses. Medieval symbolism came to life through sequined Tudor roses and flowering branches vining their way up the gowns, melding historical reverence with Saab’s sophisticated artistry.

Dramatic capes of crystalized crepe and velvet dentelle layered atop matching gowns, wrapped in an enigma of enchantment and luxury. Touches of whimsy came to life in pearl drops and gilded bees humming through embroidered foliage, and ethereal gowns with near-transparent sequins in playful fantasies.

Saab has shown once more that while his inspirations may travel through time, the core of his collections — an unflinching commitment to glamour and the celebration of feminine beauty — remains the same. It is this consistency that continues to endear Saab to his clientele.



Dior Sends Sporty Fashion Down Paris Catwalk

 A model wears a creation as part of the Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2025 collection presented Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 in Paris. (AP)
A model wears a creation as part of the Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2025 collection presented Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 in Paris. (AP)
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Dior Sends Sporty Fashion Down Paris Catwalk

 A model wears a creation as part of the Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2025 collection presented Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 in Paris. (AP)
A model wears a creation as part of the Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2025 collection presented Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 in Paris. (AP)

Christian Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri showed playful, sport-themed fashion for the LVMH-owned label's spring-summer 2025 ready-to-wear collection on Tuesday to a front row of celebrities and France's first lady Brigitte Macron.

Models marched down a long, straight runway parading jersey dresses, asymmetric bodysuits and black trousers with white racing stripes running along the legs. Completing the looks were tall gladiator shoes -- including sneakers -- laced up to the top, while accessories included large pouches worn across the back.

Artist SAGG Napoli kicked off the show, entering a narrow corridor in the center of the catwalk, carrying an archery set. After stretching her arms and neck, she stroked her long braid then grabbed an arrow from her belt and fired it.

"May the building of a strong mind and a strong body be the greatest work I have ever made," was one of the quotes splashed on the set of the venue, a temporary tent in the Rodin Museum garden.

Paris Fashion Week, which features some of the biggest labels including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Kering-owned Saint Laurent, follows industry shows in New York, London and Milan earlier this month. It wraps up on Oct. 1.